District needs to bridge the SpringBoard divide

Douglas County's English curriculum might benefit from a couple of additions, like "The Caine Mutiny" or "Mutiny on the Bounty."

We don't know what percentage of English teachers in the district oppose implementation of the curriculum purchased from the College Board, but we know that discontent is wider and deeper than initially thought, and that 100 percent of the veteran Douglas High teachers sitting on the school board opposed it.

We believe that there's a reason why the school board is called on to approve textbooks and curriculum. In this country, we've watched local control over education become eroded by state and federal lawmakers. Education is a political issue in this country, and politicians have made a lot of hay while the apparent quality of education has continued to decrease.

We have no interest in seeing a one-size-fits-all educational style in Doulgas County, and we get the feeling that there's plenty of that going on with SpringBoard, whether or not it's called "alignment."

With some of the school district's most respected English teachers opposing the implementation of SpringBoard, we would caution the Douglas County School Board to listen to concerns and come up with a strategy that works.

Without all troops on board, the school district and its thousands of students will never move forward in the way both sides hope for.